Begin Again
by DivergentNephil
Summary: When Ella sees a cute drummer at her music school she develops a crush. When she sees he goes to her school and is her neighbour she begins to fall in love. Too bad he's an exchange student from Switzerland and leaves in 284 days. What will she do when he has to move back? Eggy and minor Fax. Not based at all on Taylor Swift's song. Chapters are short.
1. Lateness, Lessons and Love?

**So this is my new story! I really hope you guys enjoy it.**

**My awesome beta reader is Unicorns. Bubbles. AWESOMENESS. Check out her stories!**

**This is NOT a "flock forms a band" story.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Maximum Ride.**

* * *

_**July 20**_

**Ella's POV**

"Ella Martinez! Out of bed, you're going to be late!"

That's me. Elle Martinez, also the girl who's being dragged out of bed.

"Ow! Max!" I scolded my older sister after she had finished laughing. I guess it's her nature – she's one year older than I am, after all.

"Sorry Ells, but mom's right. Your lesson is in five minutes." She took a glance at me, and snorted as she caught sight of my bed head. Unlike her, my hair doesn't look great when I roll out of bed, which is really ironic, considering she doesn't care about her hair at all.

The "lesson" she's referring to, are my drum lessons. When I was about three, my dad gave me a toy pair of drum sticks. I would hit anything with them, and I mean anything. The counters, the toilets, my sister's head. Dad would always laugh and smile whenever I hit something, and told me that it was beautiful, the clangs and abrupt noises I was making. But then he dstrated leaving every few months, then weeks, then days. Suddenly, we were only seeing him every few years, something little Max and I didn't understand. We would cry and ask for him at night, and mom would just hold us until we fell asleep. I missed his laugh, whenever I hit him with the pair of sticks by accident. I missed him.

When I was ten, though, mom told me that the drum sticks weren't toys. Dad had actually given me real ones, which explained why they were so long and on the heavy side.

He had given Max a little keyboard. She'd taken real lessons once he died, and she was old enough to know what middle c, flat and sharp meant. Max was six when she took lessons. She quit after level 7, so she had been thirteen.

I had been taking drum lessons since I've been six.

Sighing, I sat up, after laying down for a good while on the rough carpet. Groggily, I went to my closet. Max says I have too many clothes, but you can never _ever_ have enough clothes! Scanning through my clothes quickly, I picked out a pair of white shorts and a ruffled purple tank top. Since it's the first week of July, it's really hot, and I need to comfortable, after all.

Now fully awake, I ran to the washroom and ran a brush through my hair. It's brown and boring, as opposed to my sister's naturally brown and sun streaked blonde locks. She has the looks and she doesn't even care!

I put a little mascara on and dashed down stairs. I normally would have looked up hair tutorials on YouTube on my iPhone, but I was already running late.

"Ella, you're already late." Mom chastised as we piled into the car. Max was going to hang out at her boyfriend Fang's house while I had my lesson.

We had to watch Max go next door and knock on the door. Fang opened the door. He picked her up and spun her around. I sighed audibly, wishing I could have someone like that.

"Nothing other than hugging!" Mom yelled as the door closed. She watched for a few seconds, as if she would be able to sense if they were doing anything more, then she drove away.

When we got to the place where my lessons were, Mom walked me to the desk in the front.

"Ella Martinez lesson at 10:00." I felt nervous. It was like a doctor's appointment.

"Ah yes. Hi Ella!" the receptionist, whose name is Shirley, doesn't look up from the computer screen. I look around and see she's on Facebook.

"You're ten minutes late." Shirley remarks. "I'm sure Alex won't mind, he's still with a new student."

"Have fun!" Mom kissed my forehead and walked out.

I waited in the chair right across from the door to the room with the drums. I could hear them going through beats and rhythms. The person in there sounded really good.

I got up and asked the receptionist if she could give me the boy's name.

"That's private info, young lady." She looks at me disapprovingly and goes back to computer screen, pushing the glasses resting on her nose further up. Now she's on YouTube. I know, because I can faintly hear Keyboard Cat.

I sat back in the chair and listened some more. The boy was amazing. I doubted he was new like Shirley said. He abruptly stopped playing, and it kinda caught me off guard.

I was about to pull out my iPhone and text my friend Nudge, when a flash of blonde, almost white, hair caught my eye.

It was the boy in the room. He was looking around the room casually as Alex was writing something. The boy looked straight at me and held my gaze for seconds. His eyes were a beautiful shade of blue. Then he tore his gaze away and studiously looked down at his hands.

A few minutes later, he opened the door and walked out. He looked at me for a minute.. The amazing thing was the hue of his eyes was bright blue, then dark blue, then light blue in the course of a few seconds. The surprising thing is I find myself drawn to them. Which is weird because I have something against the colour blue. Everyone likes it, so I wanted to be the one that doesn't. I'm more of a purple person. But his eyes, they were captivating. All too soon, he looked away.

I went in to the room. I think Alex was asking me how school was and if I was enjoying my summer break. I think I said fine, but I was too distracted by the fact that the boy had obviously turned around and was seated in the chair I had just been occupying. He watched me for the first ten minutes, then got up and left.

_A/N:_

_Hey! So it's me, DivergentNephil and this is my new story since Forgetting and Remembering._

B/N: Hi there! I'm Bubbles, as in Unicorns. Bubbles. AWESOMENESS.

I'm her ^^ beta xD

I hope you liked it, and review!


	2. 284 More Days

**So this is the second chapter! Apologize for mistakes.**

**As those who have read Forgetting and Remembering probably noticed, is that this story isnt really following the summary i gave. Im really sorry, but i realized if i wrote the story that way, I wouldn't have gotten anywhere.**

**Disclaimer: James Patterson owns Maximum Ride.**

* * *

**SEPTEMBER 2 Monday**  
**GRADE TEN**

**Ella's POV**

"You excited?" Max asked me.

"Scared. What if I get stuffed into a locker? What if I get lost? What if I'm late for a class? What if a dinosaur crashes through the school and-" I babbled on, but Max clapped a hand over my mouth.

It was my first day in High School. I was attending Max's school Itex High. As you can tell from my rambling, I was kinda stressed.

"Oh hush. You sound like Nudge." She teased. "Everything will be fine. You have Nudge, Fang and I. And people are scared of me." She bragged.

It was true. My sister was a... to put things lightly, quick tempered person. Max had been in fights at school, but she always protested that she had been provoked.

"You'll have a map of the school, and the only one who might ever consider pushing you into a locker would go through me after!"

"I guess that makes me feel better."

"Hey!" Max yelled, waving her arms like crazy and peering over the top of my head. "Over here!"

I tuned around and saw Fang with his sister and my best friend Nudge.

Nudge's been my best fried since sixth grade. Though it's only been three years we joke about how well we know each other, like sisters. I can recall exactly how we met. It was on Valentine's Day...

::-:: _Flashback_ ::-::

_She was crying under the sinks, her pink, sweet heart neck lined dress getting crinkled. I didn't know her well despite the fact we were in the same class. Just that her name was Monique, but likes to be called Nudge. I don't know what made me go over to her. Maybe it was the mascara streaking down her mocha toned skinned that made her look even more miserable. Maybe it was that I knew she was a kind and caring person. Whatever it was, I tentatively walked over to her._

_"Hey. Do you want a tissue?" I held some out, which she took gratefully._

_"Thanks." She blew her nose with one, and carefully wiped off her makeup with another._

_"Do you mind me asking what happened?" I sat on the floor under the sinks with her._

_"I don't mind at all. See, it's 'cause of Courtney."_

_Courtney Mohs is well, not nice. _

::-::_ FLASHBACK IN A FLASHBACK _::-::

_I remember I had been walking home from school, Max hadn't been with me, and I had tripped over something. I had winced, my knee was cut. Turns out I tripped over a sparkly pink compact mirror, with **Courtney Mohs** engraved on it. Looking around, I saw her signature blond locks. _

_"Courtney!" I waved to her and she came running._

_"Is that my mirror?" She grabbed it._

_"Yeah, I found it on the-"_

_"You bitch!" She snarled suddenly. "It's cracked!"_

_She showed it to me and indeed, a long crack run through it._

_"I'm so sorry! I tripped over it and-"_

_She just turned on her heel and walked away._

::-:: _Flashback within a flashback gone_ ::-::

_"What did she do?"_

_"Well, I saw Aden, you know, the really hot guy in our class? He had asked me out to the dance and then we dancing and-and she came up to us and was all like, 'wow Aden. You can do much better than her. Like me.' and he just le-le-left!" She started crying again._

_"Nudge. It's not that big a deal. He obviously wasn't good enough for **you**. You can do better than some guy who prefers girls with big boobs than a girl with a big heart." It just spilled out of me._

_"Really?" She stared at me in shock, her doe eyes widening. "You're right! I can do better!" She jumped up in triumph, forgetting we were under the sinks._

Ouch. I wince as I remember her rubbing her head reproachfully, but laughing still. I guess our friendship shot up after that, sleepovers every weekend.

Max and Fang greeted each other as they usually do, which is to kiss. Luckily, Nudge doesn't greet me like that, she greets me with a flood of chatter.

"Nudge. Nudge! NUDGE!" I ended up yelling, effectively cutting her rant of how hot Jace Herondale is, when Allegiant comes out and if unicorns are real.

"Whaaaaat?" She drags out, though with a smile.

"I thought you'd like to know about a...boy." I know this will divert the Nudge Flood, something I call her relentless chatter.

"OMIGOSH! Did you kiss or something? Is he hot? What did you guys talk about? Where did you meet?"

Totally used to this kind of interrogation, I answered. "No we didn't, I guess, we kinda have never talked and we never actually met. We saw each other at our drum lessons through a window."

Yes, lessons. He would sit outside for the first ten minutes, and then leave. Eventually, I started waking up earlier so I could sit and watch. Mom thought it was the apocalypse. Max can't say anything because she sleeps in longer than me, except on weekdays, she gets up at five every morning to run.

Nudge sports a disappointed look. "So, do you know his name?"

"Um. No."

"Whatever." Nudge waves a hand. She talks again, and I am transported into Nudge Land, though the boy doesn't leave my mind. Not that he ever did.

* * *

It's the first band practice at high school. We put our names under whether we were in band previously or not. Then we write down what we want to play. I've been in percussion since grade six. Max and Fang are in the grade ten, so naturally they're in grade ten band, and they're going to help out in the nine band. I saw Max in the percussion section and went to sit next to her. We shared the seat designated for the piano player.

"You excited?" She asked again.

"Yeah. Band is the only good thing in school." I sigh.

"Nuh uh! P. E. is too!" She argues.

Now, returning to the fact that we are percussionists, before you all think percussion is just the drum set, it isn't. In concert band, there are barely any drum parts. There are the bells, which look like a xylophone but are less octoves and made of metal, then there's the xylophone, bass drum, snare drum, timpanis, suspended and crash symbols, as well as the small instruments: sleigh bells, shakers, cowbell, tambourine. For some reason, there's a firebell in the percussion cabinet... The cabinet holds the small instruments and the bass/snare/bell/xylophone mallets.

This band was about 100+ kids, i didnt see how many percussionists. They were all behind me, but I didn't want to turn around and count them.

My mom was friends with the band teacher here, her name was Ms. Johansson. She had fiery red hair and green eyes that can be really scary when she's mad. So she knew Max and I by sight, which is why she waved cheerfully from across the band room, we waved back.

When the students all got seated by section, she spoke. "I'm Ms. Johansson. You can call me Ms. J. This year, we will be reviewing the basics. The fingering, scales, rhythms. I've picked two songs for the Three Month Showcase already. James Bond Theme and Nessun Dorma and it will be on November first, Thursday. We have two Sophomores here, Maximum Martinez and Fang Ride, to help. Max is in the percussion section, Max wave." She ordered.

Max heaved a sigh and stood up, opting to bow dramatically instead. Ms. Johansson just rolled her eyes as the small amount of giggles died out.

"And Fang is in the saxophone section. Wave Fang." A few of the girls seemed to swoon, but snapped out of it once they felt Max's glare. Max's Glare is a special form of glare, that you can actually feel, even if you didn't know she was there.

Fang waved.

She pauses. "I want to see where all of you are at. So for the next two hours, every single one of you will play a few seconds, maybe a minute of something. This is your chance to impress me and your classmates."

Her eyes land on me. "Ms. Ella Martinez. Would you like to go first?"

After a second of hesitation, Max pushed me. "Oh! Uh, sure."

* * *

**Iggy's POV**

Oh. My. God. I nudged Fang. "It's her!"

Let me explain. Hi, I'm Iggy Walker. I'm new here at Itex High School. I'm part of this exchange program and I'm living at my new friend Fang's. His sister is nice, but a little chatty

I've been here in Arizona since June, and recently found a cool place that teaches kids how to play anything. From the violin to the kazoo. Okay, so maybe not the kazoo but hopefully you get my point. So I enrolled in drum lessons. I had taken a break when I was ten, but now at sixteen, I really wanted to take it up again. I had been taking drum lessons since I was able to, which was six. But then I chickened out because well, being in percussion in band brings bad memories back. There isn't even a lot of drum parts.

Returning to the Oh. My. God.

"What?" Fang whispered.

"It's her! The girl from the lessons!" I pointed frantically. The girl from the lessons was the long name I had made for her when I told Fang about her. I guess I didn't do a good job describing, seeing as she was his girlfriend's sister and he didn't know who I was talking about. Ella's eyes were brown, reminding me of my beloved chocolate.

Don't judge me on my chocolate obsession.

Anyways. Brown wasn't my favourite colour, I always picture brown to be like mucky brown or something. But her eyes were so warm looking and I wanted to go up to her and just stare into them. They reminded me of Te-

"Max?" Fang cut in, his eyes narrowed.

I knew Max was his girlfriend, but every time she came over I was at my lessons.

"What no! The girl beside her!" I kept pointing, pissing off a random asian flute player with glasses. I didnt blame her for glaring at me, my finger was so close to her face her eyes were going cross eyed. I slowly lowered my hand.

"That's her sister." He spoke cautiously. "You don't happen to...like her do you?"

"Nooo." I answered. "I barely know her. She's a really good-"

I was interrupted by a familiar pattern. It was the drum part that begins in Coffee's For Closer by Fall Out Boy.

And as I listened, it morphed into a fill from Misery Business by Paramore.

When it ended, she got lots of applause.

"Who's next?" The teacher asked.

Max's hand shot up. "I won't be showed up by my little sister!"

Ms. Johansson smirked. "Do what you will."

I doubted Max was going to play some Classical stuff. From what Fang has told me about her, it would be less surprising to see her do a backflip and land in the splits, than play Bach.

I was right, she played Skyfall by Adele. It was really good.

Seeing as its a long song, she played the beginning up to the first chorus. Then she bowed again. People clapped for her too, Fang being the loudest.

And so it went. Everyone played a little bit, I played a bit of Smoke on the Water and Fang just played Mary Had a Little Lamb.

"Be lucky I know how gifted you are in playing the saxophone." Ms. Johansson shook her head, a smile on her lips.

When Band ended, I put my bass away and hurried over to the percussion section. I had a hand out to tap Ella's shoulder, when she suddenly turned around, knocking my arm away.

"I am so sorry!" She apologized quickly. Then she looked at me. And looked.

"See something you like?" I smirked.

"What? No!" She glared. It looked a little like Max's when Fang had been swooned over. "You just look familiar."

"I live next door to you. I'm living with Fang until the end of the year, then I'm moving back to where I live."

Of course I knew were we'd seen each other. I just wanted to know if she could place me.

"Noooooo." Ella stared at me. "You're the boy from the music school!"

I don't know why, but I was kind of happy she remembered me.

"Right!" I snapped my fingers as if I had just thought remembered that. Not like I'd been obsessing over her for the past two months.

"Yeah. But where did you live?"

"Switzerland."

"Oh. Wow! Can you speak French?"

"Yea. I can teach you?" I offered.

"Sure! How do you say "I like sushi and really want to eat some."?

"J'aime les sushis et vraiment envie de manger un peu." She looked impressed. "Maybe one day you can come over and teac-"

She's interrupted by, "Okay everyone! Out in two minutes or else you're scrubbing chairs!" Ms. Johansson calls.

Ella scrambles away after a quiet good bye is thrown over her shoulder.

I stand in silence for a few minutes, then walk off to my next class.

* * *

"Did ya have a good day?" Max throws an arm around my shoulder as we go into her little Fiat to drive home.

"Yea. I met a boy. His name is Iggy."

"Iggy? Fang told me about him!" Max opens the car door and I go to sit in shotgun. "He's a nice kid apparently."

"Oh." I don't really have any words. What am I supposed to say? That I noticed his eyes aren't only blue, but green? That they seem to change colours like a kaleidoscope?

The ride home is filled with different pop/rock songs. For Max'a birthday a few years ago, he made a mixed tape of Paramore, Fall Out Boy, The Killers etc. when Max pulls into the garage and turns off the car.

As we go into the house, Max dumps her bag on the floor, takes six of the chocolate chip cookies mom made, and runs back out of the house.

Which really shouldn't bother me, except that she grabbed my arm as she ran.

"Where are we going?" I ask.

"To Fang's." She knocked on the door. "Mom told me to take you next door 'cause we're supposed to invite them over as a back to school celebration."

"Max? Ella?" Mrs. Ride answers the door. She basically our second mom.

"Hi Mrs. Ride!" I wave.

"Call me Anne!" She says for what must be the thousandth time since we've known each other.

"Sorry."

"We were wondering if you wanted to come over for dinner tonight. We're having pizza." Max is subtlety craning her neck to see behind Anne.

"Of course! Thanks for the offer. And Max?"

"Uh huh?" Max stops craning her neck.

"Fang's at the music store." She smiled then closes the door.

"Was it that obvious?" Max sarcastically pouts as we walk back to the house.

"Yea."

"Whatever. We're off to the music store!

* * *

**So so so sorry for the delay. Apologizze for bad translating. Google translate was used...**

**I would love love love _love _if I got some feedback on this. No flames, but if there's anything, anything you'd like to say about it, go ahead.**

**EDITED JUNE 3. Added a scene, if it contradicts with anything, let me know.**


	3. 284 More Days Remaining

**Sorry for delay.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Maximum Ride.**

* * *

**September 2  
****Monday**

"Iggy. I think you should switch to percussion. You've done it way longer than the bass." Fang's dark eyes aren't even looking at me as he speaks, he's reading the back of a box of reeds.

"Let it go Fang. You know why I don't want to."

Fang sighed. "Sorry, I forgot."

"S'okay. Bass is practically percussion already!"

"Whatever."

Right now, we're in the music store. Fang needed to buy reeds and I just wanted to tag along. I haven't seen a lot of this city.

Just then, Fang's face broke into a grin. I didn't even have to turn around, only one person made him smile like that. Max.

Max was, interesting. I hadn't had a chance to talk to her, but the way Fang talks about her, it's like she's the sun or something. He said she's funny, smart, quick tempered, musical and all that stuff. Her hair is sun streaked, so much like Te- I won't say it. I can't.

Max ran up and whispered something to Fang. He nodded and they left to go pay for the reeds. Seconds later, Ella appeared and we stood together awkwardly.

"So..." She bit her lip.

"What were you going to say earlier today?" I blurted out. Oops, don't interrupt a girl.

She looked embarrassed. "It was nothing."

"Come one." I coaxed. "What was it?"

After some hesitation, she answered. "I thought you could teach me some French."

"Sure." Anything to talk to you.

"Do you want to use my drum kit one day? I know Fang doesn't have one at his place."

"Oh. I'd love to!" It was true, Fang had a little room for his saxophone, a violin for his little cousin Gazzy, a flute for his other cousin Angel and a keyboard for Max. I didn't blame him for not having a drum set. I'm only there until June 13.

"Great! Maybe when you guys come over."

"We're coming over?" I ask curiously.

"Yeah. For dinner tonight."

"That's great." I say. "By the way, are you still taking lessons now that school's started?" I knew she had had lessons at ten during the summer, I had mine at nine, but due to school, I had mine at five in the afternoon on Fridays.

"It's at six now. On Fridays."

"Cool, I have mine an hour before."

We stand there in silence, again not knowing what to say.

Luckily Max and Fang came back. "We have to go back Ella. Mom texted saying she needs help with dinner. Don't know why she needs me."

"Why wouldn't she need you?" i ask curiously.

Ella giggles. "Max is a terrible cook, don't get me started on the day she tried to make brownies. It looked like poop in a pan."

Max pouts and Fang just laughs, casually wrapping an arm around her waist.

"Bye." She kisses him on the cheek and I wave bye as they start walking towards the parking lot.

"See you at six." Ella waves back. I watch them go into a Fiat.

When they leave, I turn back to see Fang shaking his head.

"What?" I ask defensively.

"Nothing. Nothing." I see him smirk as we climb into his jeep and drive away.


	4. 284 More Days Continued

**Sorry if French is off.**

**Don't own Maximum Ride.**

* * *

**September 2**  
**Monday**

**Ella's POV**

So, it's six now and the Ride's aren't here yet. I'll just take this time to explain the reason we are having take out pizza, instead of homemade. It was disaster known as Max. And even worse, Max in the kitchen.

All we're having is pizza, simple enough right? You roll out what was frozen pizza dough, add tomato sauce, cheese, then toppings. In the oven it goes for a while then BAM! Pizza for seven. Wait, and the Walkers; Fang and Nudge's cousins Angel and Gazzy and their aunt Kim. Just like the Ride's, the Walker's are close friends as well. They just started grade five. So that makes...ten.

Anyways, Max found a way to screw it up. First it was the rolling pin falling out the open kitchen window to let in a cool summer breeze. Second was the can of tomato sauce exploding when she set it down on free counter space. A.K.A the stove which was on because she thought she was preheating the oven, when in reality she had turned the stove on. (Don't ask how that made it explode.) Third was the cheese having been mouldy, though it wasn't supposed to go bad for another week. Okay, so that wasn't Max's fault, whatever. And the finale...when she set the timer for three hours and we totally forgot about it. So it kinda exploded in the oven and set off the smoke alarms.

Dominoes it is then! Now we have three pizzas, cheese, pepperoni and vegetarian for Nudge who can't stand the though of eating meat and for some reason doesn't like plain cheese.

It's now 6:10 and yay, they're here! The Walker's live just next door so I don't know why they were late.

"Sorry Valencia," Anne smiles apologetically. "Nudge's hair straightener caught fire and we had to use the fire extinguisher. Nothing big."

Oh.

Aunt Kim, Angel and Gazzy live about ten minutes away, they have a legit excuse I suppose.

Once everyone was seated and eating, mom started talking to Iggy. She had never met him before.

"So you're from Switzerland?"

"Yeah."

"Do you speak French?"

"Yeah."

"Can you say something?" Angel quipped.

Iggy laughed and said something. We all waited in silence to hear what that meant. When he didn't say anything, Fang spoke.

"Dude, none of us are French."

"Oh! It meant, 'nice house, where's the washroom?"

Everyone laughed. "No seriously, where's the washroom?" He asked.

"I'll show you." I stand and he follows me down the hall. "Third door to the right."

"Thanks." He looks at the wall behind me and points to something. I know it's one of our photographs, the wall behind me is covered with them. "Who's that?"

I turn and see which one he's pointing to, it's hard to miss. The picture is huge and is of Max, mom, me and dad on the beach. It was a month before he died, I was five, Max was six. Mom is holding back her hair with one hand, and hugging Max with the other. Or restraining her, I think Max wanted to play in the water. Dad is crouched and had his arms wrapped around me tightly. I'm soaking wet, I think I fell in the water. I remember, though I was so young, the spray of the water, dad's warm arms hugging me, Max's shrieks of laughter.

"That's my dad." I answer stiffly. "He's not...here." _He's never here._ Iggy doesn't answer, just looks at me with pity because he knows that my dad for some reason isn't with us, then shuts the door. I go back to my seat and eat in silence, chewing my pizza slowly.

After everyone has finished eating, (Iggy has come out of the washroom at this point,) we all just hang out around the house. Fang is in Max's room, The moms are in the living room looking at photos, Angel and Gazzy are with Nudge, and guess who's with me?

Yup, Iggy.

Why isn't Nudge with me you ask? Before everyone came over, I messaged her.

_Flashbackish_

_**September**__**2**_  
_**5:35**_

_**Chatterbox**__: heeeeeey!_

_**LittleDrummerGirl**__: hey._

_**Chatterbox**__: first day fun? Meet any cute guys? If so, how hot on a scale of ugly to Will Herondale?_

_**LittleDrummerGirl**__: remember the boy I was talking about this morning?_

_**Chatterbox**__: ya, boy from your drum lessons?_

_**LittleDrummerGirl**__: ya! He goes to our school! HE'S IN OUR BAND!_

_**Chatterbox**__: WHAT?! OMG DID YOU TALK TO HIM? DID YOU FIND OUT WHAT HIS NAME WAS? WHY DIDN'T I SEE HIM THERE?_

_**LittleDrummerGirl**__: um, I talked to him and his name is Iggy. He's from Switzerland and part of the exchange program._

_**Chatterbox**__: oh him._

_**LittleDrummerGirl**__: you know him? Wait I'm stupid. He's staying at your house! He mentioned staying at Fang's! You never told me you had someone staying at your house all summer!_

_**Chatterbox**__: sorry it slipped my mind. I didn't know that was him!_

_**Chatterbox**__: oooh wait. He mentioned drum lessons. Oops._

_**LittleDrummerGirl**__: -.-_

_**LittleDrummerGirl**__: for some reason he's playing the bass in band. Guess he wanted to try something new._

_**Chatterbox**__: so, we're going to your house for dinner?_

_**LittleDrummerGirl**__: yup!_

Nudge's mission was to get me to make more friends. Apparently, as she puts it, "All you have as a friend is me. Your relatives don't count." Which excluded Max, Angel and Gazzy.

"How bout I teach you some French?" Iggy asks awkwardly. We're in my room, me sprawled on my bed and him sitting on my desk chair.

"Sure!" I sit up and he chews the inside of his check thoughtfully.

"Okay, repeat after me. J'aime le pizza. It means I like pizza"

I repeat and say, "all I knew was pizza."

"With my help, you'll know more." He looks determined. "It will be my mission! To get you to be able to speak French more before I leave."

"When are you leaving?" I ask.

"June 13."

I suddenly hear the Walker's leave, yelling good bye. Iggy yells bye back, as I run out the door and wave good bye as they climb into their car.

When they leave i dash back into my room and then sit back on the bed.

I see Iggy's texting and I sneak behind him and read the conversation. All I see is that he's messaging Fang and my name in their conversation, when he cradles the phone to his chest and gives me a mocking look.

"Come on let me see!" I beg. My curiosity is piqued, why would they be talking about me?

"No." He sticks his tongue out and stands up, holding it high in the air.

"No fair!" I stretch onto my tippy toes and when I'm still to short, jump.

When _that_ doesn't work, I take a few steps back. He looks at me warily, then I ran forward and tackle him. He lands on the bed with an oomph.

"Give me the phone!" I grab it and cackle in triumph. I have my fingers on the keyboard, ready to type something like, "hey Fang, it's Ella. Wuzup?"

I type the first part but I see his panicked face and then he does the unthinkable.

He tickles me.

"Noooo! My weakness!" Is all that I can say because I start laughing too much. "Stop stop stop! You can have your phone back!" My fingers are all over the phone screen as I try to get away from him. I don't know what I'm typing.

"Nah this is fun!" He starts to tickle my feet, which is even more sensitive.

I'm screaming with laughter until Max starts banging on the wall that separates our rooms.

"Shut up in there, stop torturing Ella Iggy!"

He stops and I gasp for breath. I look for the phone and see him tuck it in his pants pocket.

"Damn it." I mutter.

He just chuckles.

"Wanna use the drum set?" I suggest.

"Sure." We get up and I lead him down the stairs and into our garage, where my Pearl drum set is.

"It's beautiful!" He pretends to wipe a tear. "I miss my set back at home."

"You can come over and use it whenever you want." I sit at the kit and play a few paradiddles and rolls.

I'm getting into it when I feel a pair of warm arms wrap around me. I start to blush, then realize he's just taking the drumsticks.

"Scooch." He orders. I do and he slides onto the seat as well. It's a small chair.

"Teach me how to play that thing you did in band."

I do, and while I do, I become hyper sensitive of the closeness. It means nothing though, Iggy obviously isn't distracted by it, he's biting his lip in concentration and it looks comical almost.

"And then repeat after me." I take one of the sticks and single handedly play.

"Impressive." He does the same, then adds a crash to it.

It goes on, adding little by little to it, until its some huge monster piece.

Some time later Fang and Max stick their head inside. "We're going home now Ig," Fang informs.

"Okay I'll be right there." He heaves a sigh and gets up.

I miss his warmth and stand up as well, clearing my throat. "I'll walk you out."

Neither of us move and it starts to get chilly in the garage, im wearing a tank top and shorts. I shiver once and he hugs me.

"I had fun, thanks for letting me use your kit."

"No problem, thanks for teaching me French." I'm trying not to hyperventilate, no one has hugged me this long, unless you count my grandma, she slobbers me with kisses and hugs me so hard I think my ribs are going to break.

It's a relaxed hug, and I wish I could stay like that longer, when my grip slackens on the drum stick and it crashes down onto the cymbal.

We jump apart and he coughs. "Let's go."

I walk him out and before he leaves, he snags my phone out of my pocket and fiddles with it.

"What are you doing?" I ask, conscious that my conversations it's Nudge is on there.

"Just adding my number." Iggy casually answers back. He hands me back the phone and I pocket it.

"What about my number?" I call as he jogs home.

I hear him call over his shoulder, "already got it."

**September 2**  
**6:45**  
**Emo** **Kid**: dude, what are you doing in there?

**Igster**: teaching Ella French. What are _you_ doing in there?

**Emo** **Kid**: on YouTube.

**Igster**: suuuuuuuure.

**Emo** **Kid**: shut up. Do you like her?

**Igster**: I don't know. I'm not over _her_ yet.

**Emo** **Kid**: forget about her. She's a cheater!

**Igster**: I know, I just can't get over her.

**Emo** **Kid**: I'm sure she's over you.

**Igster**: hey Fang, it's chekqkcnfhdiwlqpdneiswkwtfsnxjenqlastfubeoqpxnfrwt hcjapqw fnkaamsockskchcfbeiwkckcbfnskakcndnwkdkwnapcn skxnsup

**Emo** Kid: ?

* * *

**Review! Ze button is all alone!**


	5. 249 More Days

_Thanks a bunch to my beta reader Unicorm. Bubbles. AWESOMENESS._

_Disclaimer: I don't own Maximum Ride or Gmail. Or any of the candy and chocolate mentioned. Or Iron Man three, which I know isn't on DVD yet._

* * *

October 7

Sunday Afternoon

_Ella's POV_

I sigh, bored, as I wait for my Mac to turn on. Mom says I have to write to Grandma. She lives in Paris, but visits every summer, and despite how far she is and the lack of visits, we're very close. I can talk to her as if she's a friend, rather then some lady who sends money for birthdays and makes a mean batch of fudge. But, nonetheless, she does that too. She knows all about Iggy being the mysterious boy at my drum lessons, because I told her first before Nudge actually.

I log in, and open up Gmail. I mean, even my grandma's got an email account (obviously, how else would I contact her?).

I pull up a new screen to compose a new email:

_Hey Grandma,_

_School's been fine. I haven't been shoved into any lockers and I haven't gotten lost. Well, unless you count the time I went into the boys washroom by accident because someone had stuck a black skirt on the man. He looked exactly like the lady on the girl's washroom door!_

_My drum lessons have gone smoothly. Iggy stays for the whole lesson now and we catch a bus home together, believe it or not._

I smile slightly as I remember the time we had to run after the last bus that night. We almost missed the bus because _someone_ (coughIggycough) had decided to do a "quick run" into McDonald's for some fries.

Not wanting to take the hour walk home, we ran after it for about a block, until Lissa, Max's friend, noticed us and got the bus to stop.

We hadn't even gotten any fries.

_Band is so much fun. Max and her boyfriend Fang, (you remember him, you called him the 'Emo Boy') are in our Freshman band to help us. Ms. Johanson, (the lady with the really red hair and looks like she could be an assassin) has picked out James Bond to be our concert piece for the three month showcase. Wish you could come to watch._

_I guess you want to know about Max. She's too lazy to email or do anything besides play the piano, hang out at Fang's, and eat._

_Max is now in a two year relationship with Fang. It was the anniversary last week. Fang forgot. Cue gasps of horror. Don't worry he's still alive. He made up for it by buying her six dozen chocolate chip cookies. Six. Dozen. That's like...six times twelve..._

_A lot._

_Well, there's nothin really else to say about Max or anything new. So, I hope I hear from you soon._

_Ella_

Satisfied, I click "send." Not knowing what else to do, I spin around lazily on my spinny chair. I notice movement out of the corner of my eye, and it was from the Ride's balcony. It juts out so far that it touches the balcony in Max's room. I guess the builders didn't know about personal space. If we didnt know the neighbours, that would be very awkward.

I think it's the guest room that has the balcony...which happens to be Iggy's room.

"Pst. Pst!" Iggy hisses. I jump up and run to Max's room. She's out shopping with Lissa. Lissa either dragged her out or bribed her with cookies and money.

"What?" I lean out across the space between us.

"I have a crisis," he says seriously.

"Yes?" I cock an eyebrow.

"There's no chocolate in the house!" he complained.

Climbing over the edge, I hop onto his side. "Well then we'll have to get some."

* * *

We walk over to the convenience store three blocks away.

"Since when has chocolate been so important?" I ask.

"Since forever! Switzerland has the best chocolate." Iggy seems to drift into some memories.

_Great, here comes memory lane,_ I want to yell as I pull Iggy out of the way of a biker.

"Sorry," he says sheepishly. "I really miss home."

I cock my head to the side. "Do you email your family or anything?" Iggy opens the door to the store as I ask.

"I call them every Friday." He picks out a Mars bar, an Aero bar and a Kit Kat bar.

"I'm more of a candy/gummy person." I giggle at his shocked expression.

"How can you not like chocolate?" he asks incredulously as I pick out a pack of Jolly Rancher gummies, Gummy Bears and some Watermelon gummies.

"I just don't." I shrug and go to get my wallet, when Iggy grabs the candy from me.

"You try some of my chocolate when we get back and I'll pay."

"Sure." Anything for free food.

_Iggy's POV_

"Since forever! Switzerland has the best chocolate!" I gaze dreamily at nothing really, then remember.

_"Iggy? What's the big deal about chocolate?" Her blue eyes stare into mine as I'm in the middle of explaining the magical properties of chocolate. It's the middle of the summer and I was complaining about my chocolate was melting._

_"Well for one, it's sweet!" I point my pointer finger up. "Two," my middle finger joins it. "It stops hunger. Three," ring finger goes up, "studies show that eating chocolate makes you happy."_

_She looks at me, a crooked smile on her face._

_"And four," I brush back a blonde curl from her face. She leans forward and closes her eyes, thinking I'm going to kiss her. "I can do this."_

_I smear a bit of the melted chocolate on her cheek. She squeals and her eyes fly open while I'm bent over laughing. My eyes are closed, when I feel her fingers smear some on my own face._

_She's laughing as hard as me now. After a while though, the humour vanishes as I kiss her cheek, tasting the chocolate. She wraps her arms around my neck and and I finally kiss her._

I'm almost hit by a biker, when Ella pulls me back.

"Sorry." I say sheepishly.

* * *

_Ella's POV_

I'm crashed on the Ride's couch. Iggy's picking a movie and we have popcorn popping. As well as our chocolate and candy.

"Iron Man one?" he asks.

"Nah. I've seen it a dozen times. And the second one." It's true, Avengers more than two dozen. I can quote that one._ "'We have an army.' 'We have a hulk.'" _Take that Loki!

"What about the third?" He holds up the DVD.

"I haven't seen that yet! When did it come out?" I grab the box and scan the back.

"A few weeks ago." Iggy pops the DVD in, grabs the popcorn from the microwave behind us and jumps onto the couch.

* * *

"It's five fifty three. I better go." I stretch my arms out slowly as Iggy finally finishes the last of his chocolate. He's given me a Mars bar, and I had to grudgingly admit, it was pretty good. He had some gummies, but still didn't like them.

He leads me to the front door and with a wave, I'm off. I had a good time and I thought Iggy did too.

Except for the troubled look on his face before he shut the door.


	6. 225 More Days

**WARNING REFERENCES TO OBJECTS AND TERMS ONLY BANDIES WILL UNDERSTAND. PM me if you're confused. Or look it up.**

**November 1**  
**Thursday**

* * *

"OMIGOD WHERE IS MY FLUTE?!" Nudge screams as she runs around the band room.

It's our three month show case, we're playing James Bond theme song, and an added song, Nessun Dorma. Our very first concert at our new school.

If I sound calm, I'm not.

"I FOUND YOUR FLUTE," I chuck it at her which she catches. "WHERE THE HECK IS MY SHEET MUSIC?!" Nudge and I aren't the only ones panicking. I just saw one of the percussionists, Cathy, running like a chicken with her head cut off, looking for her drum sticks. Max forgot to wear her band shirt and is calling home right now.

"Found your music!" Iggy grins at me holding a pair of his drumsticks and my music.

You're wondering, '_his_ drumsticks'? Yeah, he joined percussion last month.

"Thank you thank you!" I grab it from his hands and hug him.

"Half an hour!" Ms. Johansson calls. We get in our order. Well, everyone but percussion. We leave the band room to go to the gym and make sure everything is in there. I leave a still panicking Nudge and leave with Iggy, Cathy, a boy named Jaden and an Asian girl named Isla. Max isn't coming because she's still trying to convince mom to bring her band shirt.

When we get to the gym, I notice that faery lights have been strung everywhere and emit a soft glow.

We head over to the back corner, where percussion is always stationed. Our music is there, there's enough mallets and we aren't missing anything.

With twenty minutes left, the five us don't know what to do. We don't really know each other. Well, Cathy and Jaden do, Iggy and I do, and Isla is just...there. I have a feeling she isn't the most popular, but she seems nice.

"Wanna play a game?" Isla sits at the piano, her black hair with brown streaks, swings forward and she quickly brushes it out of her face.

"What game?" I ask suspiciously. Last time someone posed that question, I was forced to play a very humiliating game of truth or dare.

"It's call Add On. Everyone chooses one instrument and you start something. It can be made up or a real song. Then another people come in with something else. Since there's only percussion instruments here, the melody people can go on the piano and xylophone. All the other instruments are fair game." Isla finishes.

"I call drums." Iggy and I both run to the kit. Cue awkward silence.

"We can share?" Iggy suggests.

"Fine." We try to sit on the seat together like back at my house, but this is a real drum seat that seats one. Iggy grabs my waist and plops me on top of his lap. I blush and luckily he doesn't see it.

Jaden has situated himself by the cymbals, crash and suspended and hasn't noticed anything. Cathy is giggling maniacally and stands next to Isla. She and Isla watch us with amusement.

"Normally you can't share an instrument, but that can be the exception." Isla grins.

"Melody starts it." She plays the beginning of what I quickly realize is Skyfall. I love this song! Soon I hear Cathy singing. It isn't the best voice, like a 'omigosh this voice is like an angels voice ' but more of a, 'this is nice to listen' Voice. You know, a few flaws here and there.

Jaden starts to play the suspended cymbals. He starts slowly, then builds in volume and until it crashes like a wave at _let the sky fall_ and Iggy starts to play the bass drum. After a few verses I come in with the snare and soon we're so into it, none us of see the gym is full of parents, until we end the song and they burst into applause. I guess they think this is part of the concert.

"Thanks you!" Isla mock bows and we all laugh. I glance at a clock and see we have fifteen more minutes.

The three percussionists go sit at the back of the band, when I remember I'm siting on Iggy. I jump up as though from hot coals and quickly walk over to sit next to Isla who is sitting alone.

I try to forget about Iggy, who's sitting by Jaden and Cathy. "Why are you sitting alone?"

"It'd be awkward to sit next Jad- I mean Cathy and Jaden!" She shakes her head as if to clear it from something.

"Do you have history with him?" I ask curiously. It's fairly obvious what she was going to say.

"We went to the same elementary and middle school." She shrugs indifferently. I can see in her eyes though, she feels something for him.

"It wouldn't be awkward then! You've know him for nine years." I point out.

"It's be awkward for me." She sighs. "I had this really embarrassing moment in elementary school. My best friends and I call it The Incident. Don't ask. Cathy's my friend, I've only known her since sixth grade. She knows that I..." I can see she's forgotten that she's talking to someone she barely knows.

"Enough about me. What's with you and Iggy?" She raises an eyebrow.

"We're neighbours." I answer.

"Uh huh. Is that all? Are you dating?"

"Whaaaaaaat? Nooooo..."

"Mmhmm. He's coming over. I'll just go." She gets up and I watch as she sits next to Jaden. A little farther than how most people sit next to someone, but it's a start.

"You nervous?" Iggy digs around his pocket and smiles in satisfaction when he finds a bar of chocolate.

"A little."

"Here. Chocolate helps." He breaks off a piece and I take it gratefully.

"Thanks. Who are you, Remus Lupin?"

"What?"

"Nothing."

* * *

After the concert, we went back home and I just crashed on the couch to watch some reruns of Friends.

I had my laptop on my knees, my phone in one hand and the other hand was buried in a bowl of chips. Tomorrow is a day off, the teachers go to school to plan out their lessons until Winter Break, and us students just stay home.

I was getting to the part where Monica's proposing, when my laptop made a dinging noise. A new email!

I tore my eyes from the T.V screen and opened up the email. It was from Grandma.

_Hey Sweetie!_

_Sorry I wasn't able to get back to you last month, I was travelling all over Europe! The view from the Eiffel Tower is magnificent! The European guys are cute._

I rolled my eyes. That's my Grandma for you.

_And London! It was a little rainy, but still beautiful. One of my favourite book series is the Infernal Devices, and it's set there!_

_Anyways, hearing this Iggy guy, are you two a thing? It seems so, correct me if I'm wrong. He sounds very handsome._  
_Tell Max to email me, whether she wants to or not._

_Love, Grandma_

I quickly type back.

_Hey, Europe sounds fun! Take me with you next time._  
_No, me and Iggy are NOT dating! We're only friends. Besides, how can I like a guy that doesn't like gummies?_  
_I'll get Max to email you. I think taking her chocolate chip cookies should be enough to make her._

_Hope to see you soon, Ella_

* * *

**Click that review button, it's lonely.**


	7. 219 More Days

**Don't worry, this story WILL NOT center around my oc's. I promise. **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Maximum Ride.  
**  
**November 7  
Wednesday  
Iggy POV**

Math. Who needs it? The teachers always say, "you need to learn how to use this because you're not going to be carrying a calculator.

And what do iPods, iPhones, Blackberrys, Androids and Samsungs all have?

That's right. A calculator.

I sit in the back row with Ella to my right and Cathy, a girl from percussion. I talked to her and Jaden for a bit at the concert. They're nice people, but I hardly know them.

We're supposed to be learning about math related stuff, but Mr. Scott, (our teacher,) is kind of known for getting off topic. Take right now for instance. We're talking about gun laws and how easy it is to buy one. Apparently he owns one.

Knowing this isn't ever going to be on an exam or anything, I tune him out and just daydream. Until I get a message from Fang.

**EmoKid**: How's Math

**Igster**: Not terribly interesting

**EmoKid**: Gun laws?

**Igster**: How'd u know?

**EmoKid**: I had Mr. Scott last year. Max just whispered to me that he'll probably start talking about McDonald's and how it makes people fat

I look up from my phone and distinctly heard Mr. Scott say, "And kids these days! They know it will make them fat and they still eat it!"

**Igster**: Tell her she's right

**EmoKid**: She says she knew it  
**  
Igster**: What are u guys doing?

**EmoKid**: We have a free this block. She's reading over my shoulder.

"IGGY RIDE! WHAT ARE YOU DOING?" I look up so fast I thought I'd have whip lash. Mr. Scott is looking right at me, his eyes piercing like needles, like everyone else in the class.

I shove my phone in my pocket and hold up my notebook that had past doodles on it.

"Doodling." I reply.

He looks at me suspiciously as if i might suddenly whip out a gun, before jumping into another rant, this time about the wonders of grocery stores.

**Igster**: I gtg. Don't want to get caught.

**EmoKid**: We heard. We're sitting across your math room.

I look to the side and see Ella and Cathy passing notes. Craning my neck I try to sneak a peek at whatever they're writing. Ella sees and covers the note with her hand. Darn it. Probably about her hate towards Star Trek. The girl has issues! When I told her about the new movie coming out, she started laughing at me. She told me she prefers Star Wars. Well then, I'll get my revenge.

**Ella** **POV**  
I hate Math class. I really do. I'm actually pretty good at it, B average, but that doesn't mean I enjoy it.

Good thing the teacher is talking about something else. I tune him out and start to daydream. Until a piece of paper hits me in the face.

"Ouch." I wince and pick the paper up. It's from Cathy who gestures for me to reply.

Bold Cathy  
Italics Ella  
I read it and it says

**Saw you talking to Isla at the concert. She says she told you her secret.  
**_About Jaden?_  
**Yeah**.  
_She didn't exactly, it wasn't hard to guess_.  
**Oh no, it's not obvious is it?**  
_Only when she talks about him. She has a crazy poker face_!

It's true, I see them pass in the halls and her expression never changes. She doesn't watch him, her face doesn't even change. And when he talks to her, albeit rarely, she speaks back in the same indifferent tone. I know I don't have a poker face when it comes to talking to or about Iggy. My face blushes like crazy and I start to stutter.

Yes. I do like him. Despite my email to Grandma I do in fact have feelings for the blue eyes boy. But you all probably knew this would happen. It's so cliché! The girl starts to like her friend. But what's not to like? He's funny, sweet, musically talented, smart, _hot_. No one knows, not even Nudge or Max.

**Okay good, they're both my friends and I don't want him to find out she likes him because she lets it slip. But I really want to hear about you and Iggy.  
**_Omigod. There isn't anything!_

I hardly know Cathy, don't blame me for lying.

**You get asked this a lot don't you?**

_Maybe_  
**I feel ya. I get asked a lot about Jaden, but unlike you, I don't actually like him. **  
_I don't like him_.  
_**Also, unlike Isla you don't have a poker face.  
**_  
Okay. I admit I wear my heart on my sleeve. I'm an open book.

_It doesn't look like that does it?_  
**Only a girl would notice. Guys don't notice anything.  
**_There's nothing to notice. _  
**Fine. Oh would you look at that, one more minute**.

Everyone waits for the bell, and when it does ring, the class is empty in seconds.

"Bye!" Cathy waves good-bye as she meets up with her friends. I wave back and feel my arm being tugged.

"What?" I turn to see who has my arm in a vice grip. It's Iggy.

"Hey. We gotta go."

"What? Why?"

"Bomb."

I let myself be tugged away. "Bomb? In the school?"

"Relax, it's just a stink bomb." He smirks. "Mr. Scott's room won't be used for a while."

I laugh, remembering what Max told me about him, he's a pyro.

I let him tug me out of the classroom. Max and Fang are sitting against the wall across from us. Before I can call out to them, I hear a muted boom.

Iggy starts cackling and I snicker at Mr. Scott's yells of outrage and disgust. I start to smell it wafting out of the room, when Iggy pulls me away and I happily leave the room behind.

Line break  
"Usual time?" I ask Iggy. I have English next, he has chemistry. His favourite class for obvious reasons.

"Yup. I bought the tickets, you buy the food." We're referring to our weekly movie. We found a little movie theatre; more like a room with a projector and couches, that has a tiny little admission and concession stand in front of it. From the outside it looks like a hole in the wall. It's run a an old couple who let us get in for free.

Running as if I'm in a marathon, I dash up the stairs to the third floor, and slide into my chair with seconds to spare.

"Ms. Martinez. Decided to join us?" Mrs. Kind raises an eyebrow. So maybe I didn't have seconds to spare, whatever.

"Uh, yeah. Sorry I'm late." I apologize sheepishly.

"Make sure it doesn't happen again." She stares at me for a few seconds, before turning her attention to the board. "William Shakespeare really made an impact in literature..."

...aaaand I'm tuning her out. It's a wonder I get A's in English!

I let my gaze wonder the room, resting on Jaden. I eye him critically, trying to see what Isla sees in him. He does have nice hair, and I guess his eyes are nice.

_Not as nice as Iggy's though right?_

I roll my eyes, then catch myself rolling my eyes at myself. Oops.

I do not think that!

_Oh sweetie, that's what you think_.

It's what I know!

The voice in my head starts humming a few bars of Won't Say I'm in Love from Hercules.

I don't like him.

_Mmhmm. Sure. What colour are his eyes_.

Greenish blue and sometimes I get lost in the- hey! You tricked me!

_All I did was ask a question.  
_  
"It was a dumb one." I feel my stomach drop as Mrs. Kind and the class turn to look at me. Of all the sentences I decided to speak out loud!

"You're right." Mrs. Kind looks as if she swallowed something sour. I guess she didn't like saying people were right, much less a Martinez. She was Max's homeroom teacher last year. And they did _not_ get along.

"What?" I blurt out.

"I asked, 'what kind of choice was that.' You answered, albeit bluntly."

"Oh. Um, what choice?" I ask sheepishly.

"I said, Romeo chose to get a vial of poison when he believed Juliet, a girl he knew for less then four days, to kill himself. What kind of choice was that?"

"Oh. I knew that." I slink down in my chair as class continued.

Line break  
"So, what movie did you buy tickets for?" I ask Iggy as we get off the bus that took us to the movie theatre.

"It's a surprise." He opens the door for me and I walk through. I've never had a guy hold open a door for me.

"Pick out what you want to eat." I already have my bag of Sour Watermelons on the counter and am rooting around my purse for the money.

"Here." He puts a Mars Bar on the counter as well.

"Ella, Iggy! Nice to see you! Since you're here at four, I'm guessing you're seeing the movie-"

"It's a surprise!" Iggy cuts off Mrs. Ross and I hand her the five dollars for the food.

"Oops! Sorry. Well, enjoy the movie." We thank her and take our seats in the room. It's a purple, cushy couch that we always sit at.

The movie screen turns on and I roll my eyes at him as the Star Trek theme starts. Damn him!

**Review, the button is lonely!**


	8. 215 More Days or, When Dad Visits

**Hey guys! I took out something very important in the the first chapter and the dinner chapter. If you're too lazy to go see, then I'll tell you. Ella's dad is **_**not **_**dead. **

**Disclaimer: I don't own Maximum Ride. I **_**do **_**own Isla.**

**Isla: You wish.**

**DN: Oh be quiet, go back to TMI and ID Choice Awards.**

* * *

**November 10  
****Saturday  
****Ella's POV**

Nothing to do _again. _Grandma said she was getting some tour of London. Max was out jogging with Fang, Mom was at her job and Iggy and Nudge were sick.

Great.

Maybe you're wondering, what about your dad? The guy who helped conceive you? The guy who's supposed to threaten your boyfriends, cry at your graduation and give you away at your wedding?

Dad wasn't home.

Ever.

He had some job away from home, I think a four hour drive from here, that required him to be there practically everyday. Days like Max's piano recitals, school plays, my dance recitals, mom and his anniversaries, our _birthdays_.

But hey. I'm over it. No hard feelings. No feelings of resentment.

_Riing. Riing. Riiiing. _

I grab my phone, shaking thoughts of my absent dad out of my head. Nudge's photo flashes on the screen.

"Hey."

"Omigosh you didn't tell me your dad coming to visit!" Nudge's voice sounded scratchy and she coughed multiple times in that sentence.

"He's not. I'll probably see him in twenty years."

"Then explain this."

The phone muffles for a second and I hear Nudge walking out of her room, I can imagine her perched at the top of the stairs. I hear strains of someone yelling.

"This." Nudge repeats.

Suddenly I hear the yelling voice very clearly. It's Max, she probably finished her morning jog.

"-and now he's coming back for god knows how long! I refuse to go back in that house. I will sleep here so help me!"

"Max." Fang's sounds like he's trying to calm her. "He can't be that bad."

"We've been dating five years, and you've never met him. Because he didn't visit those whole five years."

"So his job keeps him busy?" I can practically _hear_ Fang shrug.

"BUSY? BUSY?!" Max's voice is so high I'm scared she'll break glass. "A year ago I drove to where I knew his apartment was."

"_Max? Where are you going?" Mom asked as an irate Max stormed into the kitchen, snatching her keys off the counter and the GPS._

_"I'll be gone at the most, a day." Max shrugged on a jacket._

_"What?" Mom presses a hand to her hip. _

_"I'm going to see _him_." Her eyes flash. "Father daughter bonding right?"_

_Mom isn't like most moms. If someone else's kid says I'm leaving for a days, they aren't going to be allowed. Not mom._

_"He might be busy." She says feebly. I could tell him being busy wasn't the biggest thing on her mind. _

_"Then I'll leave." Max had a hand on the door knob. She knew mom's answer._

_"Don't pick up hitchhikers." She hugs Max and I watch from the top of the stairs as she enters the garage. I hear the garage door open, the car starting, and soon the door closes again. She's gone. _

"And?" Fang presses on.

"He wasn't working. He had an affair." Max stopped yelling, but her words are laced with so much venom, I'd prefer the yelling.

_An affair?_ I almost drop my phone. I can hear Nudge's gasp of shock. No. No, not him. Not the man who built me a tree house. Not the man who gave me a real pair of drumsticks and Max a keyboard.

"I heard him say he didn't want to continue with her." Max continued. I didn't want to hear anything else, but I was frozen.

Fang asked, "what did you do? Knowing you, you most likely-"

"Beat the absolute shit out of the mistress? I didn't." Max's tone turned smug. "First I kicked the door down. Then I threw my shoe at her face."

"So was he working at all, all those years?"

"Yes. This was only their third meeting together." There was a rustle as Nudge sneaked down to be closer. "I calmly asked her if she knew he was married. She said no. I didn't know if she was lying or not. So I grabbed him, and pushed him out the door and into my car."

"What about his car?" Fang asked curiously.

"For all I know, it's still there. I brought him back home, Ella was sleeping luckily. I don't want her knowing about what he did. So I brought him to mom and basically just ratted him out."

"I didn't know your parents were divorced." Fang said. Max's next words are a little softer, I bet he hugged her.

"They aren't. Mom's a trusting person, she knows he won't do it again. So don't tell me to go back there. I'll get Ella and we can-"

I never find out what we were going to do, because Nudge mutters a curse.

Probably because she just dropped the phone.

Down the stairs.

"What the-" I hear Max, so I hang up, breathing as if I ran a marathon.

Dad cheated?

_It was only three times. Two technically, the third time he went to stop it. __  
_  
That's not the point. The point is he actually did it.

"Ella?" I hear Max call. She's in the kitchen downstairs, probably ran from next door.

"What." I clomp down the stairs, trying to keep my face from going to facial expression 'Betrayed and Confused.'

"I know Nudge called you." She has her arms crossed and is leaning across the counter.

"Um." I'm still busy wrapping my head around the fact he _cheated_.

I'm surprised when she comes towards me and wraps me in a hug.

"I'm sorry you heard that. I didn't want your opinion of him to be-"

"Ruined? Too late." My voice is muffled against her hair, which smelled like peaches. "Thanks for hitting her in the face."

"You're welcome. Ella remember." She draws away and looks me in the eye. "I am going to be he mature one here. I'm mad as hell he's visiting. But this is the past and we should cherish the time we have with him until before he goes away again."

We're both quiet, them burst into hysterical laughing because she's trying to be the mature one and actually said the word cherish. So not Max.

* * *

"Where is he?" I ask, swinging my legs from the balcony. I can faintly see Iggy lying in bed through the curtains. He must be really sick if he didn't hear Max.

"Mom said he'll be here any minute." Mom had just come home, and Max explained what I knew. She told me to forgive him, that it didn't concern me. I told her I'd try.

"Lovely." I looked down at the grass below.

"Ella." Max sounded serious. This whole situation was serious.

"Mmhmm?"

"What's this I hear from the percussionists Isla and Cathy about you and Ig-"

"NOTHING!" I shriek.

"Okay okay. Geez." Max laughs. Then we see a car pull up into our driveway. We watch as he gets out of the car. We hear the doorbell ring.

* * *

"The salad is very nice Val." Dad remarks.

"Thanks Jeb." She smiles warmly at him. I trust her judgment about him, I just don't know if I can forgive him. I was asleep the time Max dragged him home, but I remember the morning after Max left, mom's eyes were red rimmed.

"So, what's this I hear about you and Fang?" He turns to Max.

"I don't know. What have you heard?" Max's tone is falsely innocent.

He ignores it. "That you two are an item." He doesn't seem mad. He even jokes, "I'll have to talk to him. Tell him not to touch my baby girl or hurt her."

Mom chuckles. But Max's face goes stormy. "You're five years too late to give him that talk." she says cooly, spooning some salad onto her plate.

Awkward silence.

"Well, my other baby girl, anyone special?" He looks at me.

No." I try to school my features into a Max like expression of coolness and indifference.

"Huh." He takes a sip of water.

More silence.

"I'm going to bed. I'm tired." Max goes to stand, but Mom puts a hand on her arm.

"Max, he's leaving tomorrow." We know she means, we don't know when you'll see him again.

Max sits.

"Are you going to bed late? My labs have done research about what happens from lack of sleep." He faces Mom, his tone verging on accusation.

Max doesn't miss it. "Mom lets us stay up until whenever. As long as its before one."

"I give them a lot of freedom." Mom sounds like she's worried.

He looks horrified. "That's terrible! You must go to sleep earlier! No daughter of mine will stay up past eight."

"And you're telling us this as...?" Max asks.

"Your father."

"You're not much of one though." Max shoots back.  
_Oh no Max, what are you doing?_

If her expression is stormy, his is a freaking lightning storm, tsunami, earthquake and tornado into one.

"What do you mean by that." I know where Max gets her temper. It certainly didn't come from Mom.

"That you're a terrible father _and_ husband. You miss everything in our lives, including my first boyfriend. I wouldn't be surprised if you missed our weddings."_ Max is crazy!_.

"HOW DARE YOU SPEAK TO ME THAT WAY! I DEMAND MORE RESPECT FROM YOU!" He roars. "AND YOU!" His angry gaze settles on Mom. "HOW COULD YOU LET HER GROW UP LIKE THIS? YOU'RE GIVING HER TOO MUCH FREEDOM."

I jump to Max's defence, Max goes to Mom's defence.

"IT'S NOT HER FAULT! SHE HAD TO RAISE US ALONE!"

"MAX HAS REASON TO SAY THAT! YOU MISSED EVERYTHING IN OUR LIVES!"

His eyes are drawn to me and now he's yelling at me. I want to cower from his words, but I don't. Max notices his target has changed and starts defending me.

Soon we're all screaming our heads off.

"TO YOUR ROOM NOW!" Dad yells at Max. The room goes deadly quiet.

"I'm sixteen." I see my sister reigning her temper back in. And failing.

"And I'm your father. Now go." He points up to the stairs. Max looks at Mom for support. Mom just shakes her head and clasps her hands in her lap.

She goes, and I can see from the set of her shoulders she's about to say something terrible. I quickly dart up behind her and herd her into her room before she says it.

This dinner did _not_ go well.

* * *

Igster: What the hell was going on in there?  
LittleDrummerGirl: My dad came home for a visit.  
Igster: You told me on the first day of school he wasn't around.  
LittleDrummerGirl: He isn't.  
Igster: ?  
LittleDrummerGirl: Sorry we woke you up. I gotta go, hope you get better.  
Igster: It's okay, thanks and I won't see you Monday. Maybe Wednesday.  
LittleDrummerGirl: Okay. Bye!  
Igster: Bye

* * *

It's eleven at night, and I can't fall asleep. Tossing and turning, all I can think of is our fight. The words bounce around in my head and echoes.

I realize I'm thirsty, so I slowly crawl out of bed. I pad across the hall, down the stairs and into the kitchen.

Where he's reading a book.

"Oh. Sorry." I turn around to walk back to my room, when he stops me.

"Wait."

"Yeah?"

"What are you doing up?"

"I couldn't sleep and I needed water."

"I couldn't sleep either." His eyes look guilty.

Going to the tap, I fill up a glass. After I drink it, I think of going back to bed, and dread it. I won't be able to sleep.

I see him hesitating. And then, "get a book."

"What?" I look at him incredulously.

"Sit next to me." He pats the place. "Read a book."

_No daughter of mine will stay up past eight_.

"Okay." I run to the bookshelves and grab Divergent. Going back to the table, I see he's reading Confessions of a Murder Suspect.

"Sounds scary." I remark.

"It's really not." I remember how much of a bookworm he was. Is.

"Tell me about it." I rest my head on my hand.

"Well. I don't really have people to talk with about books. So I'm sorry if I babble." He says.

"Babble all you want." I smile.

Asking me to get a book was a small gesture. But it shows me that he's taking back everything he said before and that while tomorrow he'll be gone for who knows how long, everything was perfect for now.

* * *

**A filler chapter. Sorry bout that.**

**Review please! The button wants to talk to you.**


	9. 206 More Days

**Sup guys? Sorry about the wait, back now! School's starting soon and I'm really stressing about high school.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Maximum Ride. Boo hoo.**

* * *

**November 19**  
**Monday**

You know what's almost as bad as being sick yourself? Having your two best friends sick. Iggy and Nudge didn't come to school today, which should have been expected since Iggy said he wouldn't see me until Wednesday.

Correction. What's as bad as being sick is having your two best friends and _sister_ sick. I bet they're all having some kind of party back at home. I'm stuck at school, Fang seems pretty lost without Max.

Currently, I'm texting Iggy behind the huge timpani drums.

**LittleDrummerGirl:** sup sick guy.  
**Igster**: That better not be a permanent name.  
**LittleDrummerGirl**: It is. I'm changing your contact name.  
**Igster**: Nuh uh.  
**LittleDrummerGirl**: Yup. Only while you're sick I promise.  
**Sick** **Guy**: Nope. My answer is still no.  
**LittleDrummerGirl**: I just did.  
**Sick** **Guy**: Fine. Be that way. I can sneak into your room and take all your candy.  
**LittleDrummerGirl**: You wouldn't.  
**Sick** **Guy**: I would. Climbing over the balcony right now.

He sent a selfie of him standing on my side of the balcony with two thumbs up.

**LittleDrummerGirl**: GET AWAY FROM MY CANDY.  
**Sick** **Guy**: Change my contact name.  
**LittleDrummerGirl**: ...  
**Sick** **Guy**: What nice purple walls you have. And ooh look, a bag of gummy bears on your desk.  
**LittleDrummerGirl**: FINE I CHANGED IT BACK.  
**Igster**: Thanks. I was joking though. As if I wanted your disgusting candy. Chocolate FTW.  
**LittleDrummerGirl**: Haha. Very funny. I gotta go, see ya later.  
**Igster**: See ya.

I lock my screen quickly as I spot Cathy approaching.

"Hey." She sits next to me. "Where's you're sweetheart and sister?"

"My sister's sick. I don't know what sweetheart you're talking about." I answer casually.

"Mmhmm sure. Iggy then, where is he?"

"Sick as well."

"Shame. Isla caught the bug too. Had to hold her hair back this morning as she was puking her guts into the-"

"Ew. Stop taking!" I lightly smack her arm.

"Everyone! Let's pull out Symphony." Ms. Johansson's flaming red hair is flicked back as she welds the conductor's wand.

I make my way to the bells, Cathy to the timpani and Jaden by the bass drum.

"Who's doing snare?" Ms. Johansson notices.

"Isla." Jaden calls.

"Can Cathy do it today?" She asks.

"No way. I suck at playing the snare." Cathy backs away.

"That's why we have talented people like Isla playing it." Jaden replies teasingly. I'm happy to hear he at least thinks of her as talented, even if he's just baiting Cathy.

"Whatever." Cathy flips her hair back.

"Okay then!" Ms. Johansson throws her arms up in defeat. "We'll just make do. Five, six, seven..."

* * *

"I really hate that song." Jaden groans as we percussionists sit at the back while everyone else goes over stuff we don't need to know. Something about mouthpieces.

"I like it." Cathy shrugs.

"That's cause you're weird."

"That's a terrible comeback and you know it."

I listen to them banter and wonder why me and Iggy sound the same, yet I like him. And as far as I know, there's no _like_ like in Cathy and Jaden's friendship.

"Cathy! Can you bring these down to the office for me?" Ms. Johansson holds out a stack of papers. "It's the forms for the band tour next year."

A small cheer follows her words. We're going to Canada!

"Yeah." Cathy smacks Jaden upside the head as she makes her way to the office with the papers.

The band continues their lesson and Jaden and I sit in silence.

"Sooo..." I start uncomfortably. "How's life?"

"Uh, fine. You?" I really hate small talk. Not that this even qualifies.

"Good."

Cricket.  
Cricket.

"What did you mean about Isla being talented?" I squash the urge to cover my mouth quickly. If I did it would look suspicious. _look_ natural, look natural.

"You don't know? Isla's taken piano for ten years, it's how she got into band. She just started taking drum lessons and she's a natural!" His words glow with praise. Admiring her talents, or her I don't know.

"Really? That's a long time of piano, Max quit a while ago." I laugh quietly as I remember suddenly smacking her head on the piano, kinda like Valentine smackin Jace'a head on the piano, but- you know? That's a terrible comparison. Anyways, she announced out of the blue that she couldn't take it anymore and wanted to quit. Mom took it well, but Mad had a nasty bruise after for a bit.

"I did too. I lasted two years." He chuckles. "Wasn't my thing."

"And playing the drums is?" I remark. He's as good as Iggy or me, probably better.

"Yeah."

"So tell me...what do you think of Isla?"

"Why...?" He asks suspiciously. Well Ella, there you go, just busted her secret.

"Um. Of all the percussionists." I smile weakly.

"Okay. Max: scary but talented. Iggy: funny and a bit crazy when it comes to fire. Cathy: she's weird and crazy." He laughs. "Kidding, I can say that about my best friends. You're curious and as talented as your sister and Isla is...nice."

"Nice." I echo.

"Uh huh." He stretches his legs out and wraps his arms behind his head. "Nice."

"Nothing more?" I push desperately.

"She's a nice person. A nice musician. She has nice hair...beautiful eyes, sweet voice...a nice body..." He gazes at the ceiling dreamily.

"Dude." I interrupt hastily. "Stop."

"Sorry what?" Jaden looks at me.

"You just said she had a nice body. And hair." I repeat.

"I said that outloud?" He asks a bit panicked.

"Unfortunately yes."

"Crap. Crap crap crapcrapcrap don't tell anyone." He pleads. "My repu-"

"If you end with 'tation' I will punch you. So what if she isn't popular? She isn't ugly, and even if she wasn't she'd still be a nice person, you said that yourself." I rant. Isla has told me over and over that he won't ever like her because of her unpopular 'status.' My opinion, the only place statuses should be is on Facebook.

"Sorry that was mean." He apologizes sheepishly. "I guess saying that is an excuse. I'm just scared."

"Of what?"

"Rejection." He sighs. "I guess my lesson here is if I really like someone I should grow a pair and tell them."

"You don't have to." I say.

"I should. Cathy's been begging me to." He stops talking for a bit. "No. I can't. I can't."

"What why?" I whine then stop quickly.

"I just-I can't." He stands up as the bell rings. "Nice talking to you."

I sit there for a bit. _Grow a pair and tell them._

Well, it's anatomically impossible for that, but I think I'll tell Iggy I like him.


	10. 174 More Days

*** Dodges the barrage of flying objects ***

**Heh heh. I'm baaaack! And now that I've started high school, I actually know how high school works.**

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own Maximum Ride.**

* * *

**December 21  
****Friday  
****Ella POV**

I narrowly dodge a couple kissing under the mistletoe. PDA is a no-no is my books.

_Unless it's between you and Iggy…_

I shake my head, gathering a few odd looks thrown my way. You all probably saw this coming a mile away, but just to refresh, I like Iggy. And the feelings keep getting stronger, no matter how much I try to squish it with a virtual dump truck.

I know I said I would tell him, but as soon I saw him after school, I froze up.

"_How's it going sick boy?" I ask, climbing over the balconey._

"_Terrible." Iggy coughs and looks at me with puppy dog eyes. "Can you pass me those tissues?"_

"_Here." I pass him the box and sit on the chair next to the bed. "I need to tell you something."_

"_What?" He blows his nose._

"_That I-" I clear my throat. "I-I"_

"_Spit it out." He smirks._

"_I GOT YOUR HOMEWORK!" I blurt out. Oops._

"_Oh, thanks a bunch!" He smiles as I wordlessly pass him the pile of papers._

"_No problem."_

Grabbing my books from my locker, I make my way to fourth period. Sliding into a desk with a minute to spare, I open my binder and pull out a pencil.

"So class, you have your open book test today! Get your text books out and let's get started."

With a groan, I pull out my Science Probe nine text book. I totally forgot about this.

**First Question:**

**What is an Iggy rock?"**

I blink a few times.

**-an igneous rock?**

I sigh quietly. This is going to be a long test.

* * *

"Ella, want to go clear out the percussion section? Johansson wants it clean for when we get back." Isla taps me on the shoulder at our lockers. Schools over for a two week Christmas break.

"Yeah sure, Iggy and I were going to anyways." I grab my backpack and the Arizona ice tea I bought at lunch.

"Oh, well…Cathy invited me to her house, so I don't have to go. Have fun with him!" She grins as walks away, then bumps into Jaden.

I wince. It looked like a hard collision, seeing as they both went sprawling down.

"Oh shit, sorry!" He stands and holds out a hand.

"It was my fault, sorry." She stands up, ignoring the offered hand and quickly walks away.

Okay, so I _might _have told her about his refusal to talk to her about his feelings. At first she was ecstatic he liked her back, then it quickly turned to frustration as she found out why he wasn't going to do anything. I am terrible at keeping secrets, I know.

"Ella! You walking home with me?" Nudge comes barreling down the hallway as I start walking towards the band room.

"Sorry, I'll be walking home with Iggy. We're leaving school later." I say apologetically.

"Ella," she puts a hand on my arm, I stop walking. "I'm really happy you're spending time with him, but I feel like we haven't been hanging out as much. Do you not want to be friends anymore? I totally understand if you want to get rid of me." She takes a breath, then continues. "You're really the only friend I have and if it's because I talk too much I can try and tone it down. Or is it the new perfume I bought? I heard it's strong. It's my hair isn't it, you're embarrassed to be around me because it's always frizzy!" She bites her lip.

"Nudge! No, don't ever think like that!" I look at her sternly. "I am so sorry I haven't been acting like a friend to you. Does going shopping make up?"

"Only if you let me give you a makeover." She takes her hand off my arm and gives me her bright smile.

"Of course!" I'm not my sister, I love makeovers.

"Great, see you later." And off she goes.

* * *

"Iggy?" I open the door to the band room.

"Oh, hey. Over here." He doesn't look up from the percussion cabinet.

"Wow, this looks terrible." I gape at the drawers of mallets and other things haphazardly stuffed and crammed into any free space.

"I know, so let's start." He rubs his hands together and pushes the sleeves of his shirt up.

I don't stare at the muscles. I really didn-stop I-what-shut up! Fine I did!

After half an hour of sorting, I sit on a chair with a huff. "We done yet?"

"Yup," he shuts the cabinet with a bang. I'm inspecting my fingernails and idly wondering if Nudge would paint them, when I hear a soft chuckle.

"What?"

"The world's supposed to end today." He leans against the wall and snorts. "We have about nine hours to live."

"I don't believe that crap." I shrug.

"Really? If you did, how do you think the world would end?" He leans closer to me.

With a gulp, I say, "uh, tsunami?"

"Hm, think outside the box!" He taps a finger to his mouth.

_Don't look, don't look. _I chastise myself as I tear my eyes from his lips.

"I'm thinking of some kind of Pacific Rim kind of event." He says.

"Oh please, a bunch of Japanese styled monsters? I think a zombie apocalypse."

"Nah, a chitauri attack."

We go on for another minute, until I realize how close he is.

"Maybe it ends with a kiss?" He smirks.

"What?" I repeat. _A kiss?_

"Look." He points up and I see the infamous berries. I'm suddenly reminded of when Fang kissed Max under it for the first time and she slapped him. Then I remember where I am.

"Wait-" His lips land on mine and I obviously stop talking. It's a short and sweet kiss, but I can't help but want more as he pulls away.

"Nope, we're still safe." He says breathlessly.

"Maybe it has to be more than one kiss?" I suggest.

"Maybe." He agrees and brushes my lips again with his own.

* * *

**I am really sorry for the wait, will this Eggy moment help?**


End file.
